Tuesday, May 17, 2011

End of the Road

Well it's been a while now since I've update the blog. The dearth of updates is the product of a variety of factors, but mostly lots of other things going on and lack of inspiration to write interesting pieces. Seeing as I can't honestly say that the situation will be any different in the near future I think its best to bring this chapter to an end rather than letting the blog die a slow death from indifference and neglect. Suffice it to say its been really fun writing this, hopefully some of you have enjoyed reading, and maybe gained something deeper, a connection to the fish, the sport and the people that love them both. I will leave you with this thought, themes which have appeared often over the last year plus...

I honestly believe there is a future for wild salmon and steelhead in the Northwest, and a future for our sport. That future however is one which we actively shape every day, wild fish need our voice but perhaps more importantly we need them. Without wild salmon and steelhead our sport will wither and die, unable to be sustained in any recognizable form by the hatchery counterfits and the types of fisheries they support. As anglers it is incumbent upon us to never lose sight of that fact, to demand more of our resource managers, our fellow anglers and most importantly ourselves. The river is our temple, let us not desecrate it with disrespect. Let us cherish it, protect it and always seek to understand it. Through that understanding we gain a view into something greater than ourselves, something that has always been and, god willing always will be. The river is the pulse of the land, the vitality which is drawn from the age old rocks and mountains, the ancient trees and the water which has forever run to the sea. The salmon and especially the steelhead give us and a momentary glimpse into that world. A bastion of natures wild perfection in our chaotic and mechanized world. Their beauty, power and stamina are a reminder of why we love them and of their fragility. The future is in our hands, long live the wild fish.

6 comments:

I'm saddened to see your blog end. I always find it informative, thoughful, insightful. You also capture a season's mood very well with your pictures. This has been my favorite blog to read, as it has a more, shall we say, journalistic feel versus an amateurish rant like most do. You write the way I would if I blogged.

I don't fly fish for steelhead except occasionally in the summer - generally fish gear and my fly rod time is is usually spent chasing trout.

anglers are a very diverse group and there are many issues to be faced in the coming years. I personally think that we all need to find as much common ground as we can and that every voice that illuminates a different facet of our fisheries experiences is useful to that end.

It has been a great blog. I have really enjoyed your writing and being able to live through your fishing exploits vicariously has greatly decreased the hardship of living on the East Coast while loving the West Coast and her native salmonoids. Hope all is well and I can't wait until I am back on the 'right' coast and we can chase some phantoms in our favorite river.